<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Only Dreams, Only Nightmares by Justghostingby</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27049414">Only Dreams, Only Nightmares</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justghostingby/pseuds/Justghostingby'>Justghostingby</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Strawbarrow drabbles [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Room of Swords (Webcomic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, based on that one theory that when gyrus resets using the black box he goes back to being 20, but nothing worse than a direct quote from the comic, even if he keeps his memories, warnings for mentions of suicide</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:02:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,124</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27049414</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justghostingby/pseuds/Justghostingby</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There's something different about Gyrus after he returned from the Jungle realm unharmed. Kodya notices. He wonders if anyone else does too.</p><p>Takes place directly after the flashback scene in 104</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gyrus Axelei/Kodya Karevic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Strawbarrow drabbles [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1987075</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Only Dreams, Only Nightmares</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Sometimes, assemblies are so boring you start writing a drabble, and then that drabble gets longer.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was something different about Gyrus after his return, Kodya noticed. It wasn’t as obvious as the last time Gyrus had disappeared, which in itself was one of the changes that made it so strange. When Gyrus had last vanished, he’d been shaken up for weeks, wandering the corridors at night, and even begging Kodya for help when he’d never asked anyone for it before, ever!</p><p>But now, now he was acting like nothing had happened, waving off all helping hands, and even shaking off Nephthys’ insistence that he stay overnight at the medbay.</p><p>“I’m fine,” he’d protested as Kodya and Nephthys hovered around him like two worried birds. “You just said there’s nothing medically wrong with me. Besides,” he shot Kodya what he no doubt thought was a reassuring smile, “I’d like to sleep in my own bed, if that’s okay with you?”</p><p>Kodya had agreed, in the hope of cornering him once they were alone. But it didn’t happen. Once in the room, Gyrus had all but dragged Kodya to bed, tucking him like he were a little kid. Kodya had of course, objected, as Gyrus was the one who’d just gotten back, and Kodya still had questions! But Gyrus wouldn’t hear it, settling beside him in the bed, a hand reaching up to stroke Kodya’s hair.</p><p>“Sleep,” Gyrus whispered, voice low and hypnotic. “You need it. I’ll be here when you wake.”</p><p>Kodya would have loved to protest that the last time Gyrus had said that he’d dissapeared, but five days of no sleep had taken its toll. The second his eyes closed under Gyrus’ ministrations, he was out like a light.</p><p>A nightmare jolted him into consciousness, and he grappled with the sheets, hands instinctively seeking the warmth that was supposed to stay beside him. His hand found Gyrus’ and he relaxed as his attention turned to the still slumbering man. He was still asleep, hardly a new occurrence, as Gyrus’ tendency towards the night meant he took a long time to wake up.</p><p>Kodya took this opportunity to stare at Gyrus, drinking in the sight of him safe at home after five days of fearing the worst. He looked so peaceful with his hair loose over the pillow, and Kodya felt a smile tug at his lips.</p><p>But...</p><p>But the more he looked at Gyrus, the more a feeling of wrongness grew, twisting its way around his heart. There was something different about Gyrus, something beyond his strange behavior. Something physical. He bent closer, running a hand through Gyrus’s hair. The texture was familiar and smooth, but as he pulled his hand away it stayed between his fingers for too long. He caught a lock between his thumb and tugged it gently straight down to measure it against Gyrus.</p><p>Yes, it was as he thought, the hair that once barely brushed his shoulders was now down past them. Not noticeably, not more than half the length of Kodya’ thumb. Someone who was looking at him casually probably wouldn’t have noticed, but here in their room, in their bed, it seemed obvious. Kodya cursed himself for not noticing sooner, wishing he’d been able to point it out to Nephthys. Maybe she’d be able to make Gyrus talk.</p><p>But then again, what was he thinking? They could hardly hold Gyrus in the medbay for extended hair. It wasn’t some great illness, right?</p><p>He lowered his head, to scrutinize Gyrus’ hair better, see if there was something else he’d missed. There wasn’t, it was only hair. Kodya snorted, realizing how stupid he was being. Below him Gyrus stirred, eyebrows scrunching in his sleep. Kodya’s attention turned to watch the adorable display, and stopped. </p><p>There were wrinkles missing from his face. He didn’t have many, but Gyrus was pushing towards 28, and the age and stress of near constant danger had left little marks around his eyes. Gyrus didn’t give them much thought, but Kodya had always made a point to kiss them whenever he could, so that on the off chance Gyrus ever developed that self-conscious obsession that had haunted Kodya’s mother, he’d know Kodya, at least, loved all of him.</p><p>Wrinkles missing, that had to mean something right? What else was wrong? Kodya turned his attention to the rest of Gyrus, scanning his neck, arms, chest, looking for more differences. At first, it seemed there were none. But as Kodya looked again, he noticed something odd.</p><p>Gyrus’ scars were wrong. They were all in the same positions, sure. The scar on his shoulder from when a monster had bitten him. A long scratch on his chest from when he’d met a less than friendly local. The dozens upon dozens that littered his stomach from all his resets. They stretched across his skin, faded together to leave faint lines crisscrossing his skin. </p><p>And there was the problem. Because they were all faint, the same kind of faint, as if they’d all been made at the same time, and aged together. Gyrus’ scars had never been like that, they’d been different, some nearly gone, some stark and clear, as much a variety as the many different types of adventures they’d shared. So how then, were they suddenly all the same?</p><p>Kodya wanted to shake Gyrus awake and ask, to drag him to see Nephthys again no matter what he protested. But something held him back. Wrinkles missing, scars all faded and longer hair, did he even have a case to make? No one else was close enough to Gyrus even notice the changes, if Gyrus denied it, it would be Kodya’s word against his. </p><p>But Gyrus wouldn’t do that to him right? He wouldn’t lie when Kodya presented him with the evidence, evidence he was surely  aware of. Right?</p><p><i>“He told me to lie for him,”</i> Don’s voice whispered in his ear. <i>“...Perhaps, he decided to end his suffering before anything terrible happened...”</i></p><p>Kodya’s stomach twisted as he looked down at the sleeping man before him. Would he tell him the truth? Or would he lie again, like he’d apparently been lying for ages, even to Kodya. </p><p>Gyrus stirred again, eyebrows drawn as worry lines began to reform on his face. “Kodya,” he murmured, and Kodya froze, half wondering if he’d been caught, but all Gyrus did was turn to his side, bringing himself close to Kodya’s warmth. Gyrus snuggled even closer, features relaxing as he tucked his head into Kodya’s side, his too long hair falling over his face and spilling on to Kodya’s lap.</p><p>Kodya pushed the strands gently away, to see Gyrus’ face had creased into a small smile in his sleep. Kodya’s heart clenched painfully at the sight, but he couldn't tell if it was from love or heartbreak.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Eventually Kodya goes back to sleep, and Gyrus wakes<br/>Gyrus: Yes! I am the first one awake! This never happens!<br/>Gyrus: Now to get ready for the day, and log my successful trial into my journal<br/>Gyrus: (looks down at sleeping Kodya, who has somehow turned into human blanket)<br/>Gyrus: (wiggles)<br/>Kodya: (tightens his grip)<br/>Gyrus:...<br/>Gyrus: (sigh) Or I could stay here until he wakes up. (pets Kodya's hair)<br/>And that was why there was no information about resets in the journal</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>